Long Odds
by CaptainSwanistheShit
Summary: After a chance encounter and a magical evening with the bass player of a small-time British rock band, gifted violinist Emma Nolan finds herself dealing with the aftermath…and her father. Meanwhile, Killian Jones is determined to find the mysterious girl he spent the greatest night of his life with, even if that means leaving his band, and his brother, behind.
1. Chapter 1

**AN: Alright, so this is a story I've been working on for a while now. The story is based on one of my favorite movies, August Rush. It's a great film and if you haven't seen it then you totally should, but if you haven't then it doesn't really matter. You'll still understand what's happening. Of course, I'm trying to be as original as I can with a storyline that's already been done, so there are quite a few details that I've changed and I'm telling a lot of the story that isn't told in the movie. So yeah, I think that's about it. I hope you like it! This is my first ever Captain Swan/Once Upon a Time fanfiction, so it'd be great if you could tell me what you think!**

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><p><strong>Chapter 1<strong>

Accelerated heart rate, shaky hands, sweat forming in the most uncomfortable places. All were obvious signs of pre-performance jitters, and Emma Nolan knew them all too well. She took a deep breath and looked at herself in the mirror as she fastened a thin golden chain around her neck and adjusted the elegant swan charm that hung from it so that it was centered. The necklace had belonged to her grandmother, Ava Swan, and had been passed down to her by her mother. It had become her good luck charm ever since she'd received it, and she immediately began to feel slightly calmer when she felt it hanging against her chest.

"Emma!" her father's voice suddenly boomed from outside the dressing room door. He knocked a few times before bursting inside. "Emma, what are you doing? They're waiting for us, let's go!"

"I'm coming," Emma grunted as her father grabbed her arm and yanked her up from her chair. He dragged her down the hall and towards the stage where her mother was waiting for them.

"There you two are!" she exclaimed. "Oh, Emma honey you look lovely."

"Thanks," Emma smiled.

"Okay, let's do this," her father squeezed her shoulder before walking on stage.

"He seems stressed," she commented as she watched him step up to the podium and organize his copy of the score.

"It's an important performance," her mother told her. "For the both of you."

"Thanks for the reminder," Emma sighed nervously.

"You'll do fine. You always do," she said encouragingly. "Just breathe."

Emma nodded and played with her necklace nervously as her mother retrieved her violin for her while other members of the orchestra began taking their place with their instruments on stage.

"You ready for this?" Emma's best friend Elsa asked as she came up behind her carrying her cello.

"As ready as I'll ever be," she told her. Her mother then returned with her violin and handed it to her.

"Good luck girls!" she said with a smile. "I'll be right in the front ready to congratulate you on yet another wonderful performance once it's over."

"Thanks mom," Emma sighed nervously. Her mother gave her an encouraging hug before turning and running off to find her seat.

"Let's go," Elsa whispered, grabbing her hand and pulling her on stage.

Emma walked to the front of the stage and sat down in her chair, which was angled towards the crowd. She began fidgeting with her violin, making sure it was perfectly in tune while her father stood up on the podium and leafed through the score of Pablo de Sarasate's Zigeunerweisen, the piece they were performing that evening. The whole piece consisted of a violin solo, that she as the first chair would be playing, with an orchestral accompaniment. The purpose of the concert tonight was so that her father could show her off to recruiters from the New York Philharmonic. That was why he'd made her memorize such a difficult piece.

"Emma," her father stepped down from the podium and placed a hand on her shoulder comfortingly, bringing a smile to her face. "I just wanted to tell you, be careful with those high notes tonight. Don't let your fingers slip like they did in last week's rehearsal."

"Oh, right," she muttered, her smile disappearing as he nodded sternly and walked off stage. For a fleeting moment she'd believed that he was going to say something encouraging, or at least give her a simple 'good luck.'

Emma sighed and continued tuning her violin. Her nerves were finally disappearing as she got lost in her routine, and she almost didn't realize that the curtain had risen until she heard the sound of the crowd clapping. Her head shot up and her stomach lurched as her father walked back on stage and turned on the microphone to address the audience. The auditorium went silent once he began to speak.

"Hello," he said, "I'd like to welcome you all to Alice Tully Hall on this very fine evening. Tonight you will witness Juilliard's finest perform a tantalizing piece led by first chair violinist Emma Nolan."

He gestured to her and she stood, bowing slightly before sitting back down.

"I can honestly say that you're all in for a real treat. Now, without further ado, I present the Juilliard Orchestra performing Pablo de Sarasate's Zigeunerweisen."

The audience clapped and Emma's father stepped up to the podium. He lifted his hands and the orchestra readied their instruments, then with one final nod to her he counted them off and the music began to flow.

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><p>As soon as Emma played her final note the crowd erupted into cheers. She was in such a daze though, like she often was after performing, that she barely even registered the deafening noise. It wasn't until she glanced over at Elsa that she began to snap out of it as her friend gestured for her to stand. She stood up and bowed which only made the cheers grow louder.<p>

Emma had received standing ovations before, but none as excessive as this, and she admitted that she found it a bit overwhelming. She was grateful when the curtain finally fell and hundreds of people were no longer looking at her.

"Emma!" Elsa exclaimed as she ran up and threw her arms around her. "You were _amazing_!"

"Thanks," Emma smiled.

"Emma," her father came up behind her. "The recruiters are going to want to speak with you. We should go meet them."

"I'll be there in a minute," she told him.

"No, now. Let's go," he grabbed her arm and pulled her away from Elsa and off stage where her mother was waiting.

"Honey, you were incredible," she told her.

"Thanks," Emma sighed as her mother hugged her.

"Oh, the recruiters are coming back stage to speak with you. I think they were impressed," her mother beamed.

"Good, they should be," her father chimed in.

Emma smiled a little at the closest thing to a compliment she'd ever received from her father.

"Here they come, let me take your violin," her mother said, taking the instrument and running off to put it away.

Emma glanced past her and saw three well-dressed people walking towards them.

The recruiters.

"Miss Nolan," the man that was obviously leading the group held out his hand to her.

She took it and smiled, taking in his expensive looking suit and shoulder length silver hair.

"Hello, my name is Mr. Gold. You gave quite the performance this evening," he told her.

"Thank you very much," she replied modestly.

"My associates and I were hoping we could speak with you about potentially performing with the New York Philharmonic, after you've graduated of course."

"Yes, that would be great," she agreed.

"Of course, right now I'm sure you'd like to celebrate such a wonderful performance, so how about we schedule an appointment for, say noon tomorrow?" Mr. Gold asked.

"Sounds good," Emma's father told him.

"And I suppose you'll be joining us then, Mr. Nolan?" Mr. Gold said.

"Well, I am her father, and her teacher, so I'd say that it's only fitting I attend this meeting."

"Very well then," he nodded in agreement. "It was a pleasure to meet you both, and an absolute delight to witness such a stunning performance. I look forward to our appointment tomorrow."

And with that, Mr. Gold turned and motioned for his associates to follow him as he walked back the way he came.

"You did it," her father told her, obviously pleased. "You're going to play with the New York Philharmonic."

"We haven't even gone to the appointment yet," Emma sighed.

"That doesn't matter. What matters is they want you," he said.

"Hey, Emma!" Elsa ran up to her with Ashley and Ruby trailing close behind. "Ruby has a friend whose brother is throwing a party in the Upper East Side and we were going to go. Wanna come?"

Before she could answer her father cut in.

"Sorry girls, Emma has a very important meeting tomorrow and she really should go home and get some rest."

"Oh, David," her mother placed a hand on his shoulder. "The meeting isn't until noon, and Emma has worked really hard."

"Mary Margaret-"

"Come on, let her have some fun."

Emma looked at her father hopefully and waited as he pondered his answer.

"Oh, alright," he sighed. "But I don't want you staying out all night. Be back home at a reasonable hour, okay?"

"Don't worry," Ruby told him as she grabbed Emma's arm and began pulling her away from her parents. "We'll make sure she gets home!"

"Have fun!" her mother called after them.

"We will!" Ashley assured her over her shoulder as they rushed out the side exit of the stage.

Once they were outside they ran for Elsa's car and piled inside.

"Oh my God, I can't believe your dad actually let you come!" Ruby exclaimed.

"Yeah, he never lets you have any fun," Ashley added.

"He just wants me to be successful," Emma told them, feeling the sudden need to defend her father.

"You're one of the greatest violinists Juilliard has ever seen. I think he's just overprotective," Elsa chimed in.

Emma felt herself blush and look down at her hands. She hated it when her friends talked about her like that.

"So, where exactly is this party?" she asked in an attempt to change the subject.

"I told you, it's in the Upper East Side. You know what that means?" Elsa smiled.

"Quality booze!" Ruby cheered

"Don't forget the hot rich guys," Ashley added.

Emma rolled her eyes and fastened her seat belt as Elsa pulled into traffic.

Ruby rolled down the window and lifted herself out of her seat so that she was partially hanging out the window.

"WOOOO!" she cheered.

"Ruby, get in here!" Elsa exclaimed, reaching over and pulling her back into the car. "You're going to get me a ticket."

"Oh relax, I'm just celebrating. We killed it tonight!" she told her.

"I agree, but can we please save the celebrating for the party?" Elsa pleaded.

"You're no fun," Ruby grumbled.

Emma laughed quietly to herself and looked out the window as her friends continued their playful banter. She was looking forward to the party, not because she was much of a partier, but because it had been ages since she'd had a night away from her father. Even if she did have a curfew, something told her it was going to be a great night.

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><p>Killian Jones squeezed his eyes shut and splashed his face with the cool water from the tap. He gripped both sides of the sink and looked up at himself in the mirror. He could hear the sounds of his bandmates tuning their instruments down the hall and felt a familiar feeling of indifference.<p>

Every week it was the same. His brother would find them gigs at clubs all over New York City and they would play the same songs, occasionally throwing in a cover or a new original song when they had one. And what was it all for? Money. An exploitation of their talent simply so they could get by. Killian loved to sing and play his bass. He loved it more than life itself. But this routine, this way of living he and his bandmates had adopted, took nearly all the joy out of it.

"Killian!" there was a bang on the bathroom door as Liam, his older brother, called for him.

He grabbed the rag that was slung over his shoulder and wiped the water that hadn't already dripped away from his face.

"Killian, c'mon! It's almost show time!"

He walked over to the door and yanked it open.

"I'm coming, I'm coming," he sighed.

Liam looked him over and placed his hands on his shoulders, shaking him roughly.

"C'mon brother, where's your head? You look like you'd rather hang yourself than play right now."

"I'm fine, let's just do this," Killian told him, squirming out of his grip.

"Look, I don't know what kind of funk you've been in for the past few weeks, but we really need this gig tonight," Liam told him.

"I know," he grumbled as they entered the room where the band was warming up.

"Then cheer up. We're not getting paid for you to mope around," Liam said as he clapped him on the shoulder.

"Oh, what's wrong now?" Robin asked from the opposite end of the room.

"Is Killian being a pill again?" Will chimed in.

"Of course he is, just like he is before every show," Liam told them.

"Oh, c'mon man. Just think, by this time tomorrow we'll be back home," Will offered.

Killian allowed a bit of a smile to form on his face at the thought of returning to England. They'd been away trying to make a living in New York for months now and he'd grown to miss their home. It wasn't as though he and Liam had any family to return to, but they did have Robin and Will's family, which were practically their families too.

"Anastasia is planning a huge dinner the night after we get back," Will told them. "She's invited everyone already for a big welcome home party."

"Do you know if Marian will be there?" Robin asked.

"Of course she will, along with Roland too," Will assured him.

Marian was Robin's ex. They were together for years and even talked about getting married when Marian got pregnant with their son, Roland. It didn't work out, but they remained good friends and worked out a functional system for sharing their son.

"I just hope she's making some of that delicious cherry pie," Liam grinned.

"What about you Killian? What are you looking forward to most when we get home?" Robin asked him.

Killian thought for a moment, but before he could think of a valid answer the club manager appeared in the doorway.

"Alright boys, you're up," he told them.

Liam gave them all a nod and grabbed his guitar, prompting the rest of them to grab their own instruments and follow them.

Killian picked up his bass and fastened the strap around his neck before following his bandmates down the hall and onto the stage where they were greeted by a cheering crowd. After Liam introduced them and worked the crowd into a frenzy, Will counted them off on the drums and they began their set.

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><p>After they played their last song Killian followed the band backstage as they cheered and hollered, celebrating the show.<p>

"Well done boys," the manager told them before handing Liam a white envelope. "You've earned that."

"Thank you sir," Liam said as he shook his hand.

Once the manager left Liam shoved the envelope in his back pocket and threw an arm around Killian's shoulders.

"Great job tonight little brother," he congratulated him.

"Thanks," Killian smiled. "Shall we pack it up and head home now?"

"You want to go home?" Robin asked.

"On a night like this? After a show like _that_?" Will finished.

"Oh, we're not going home," Liam assured everyone. "We're going to a party."

"What party?" Killian asked.

"The one we were invited to," Liam told him.

"Honestly, I'd rather go home and get some rest," Killian sighed.

"Oh no you don't," Robin shook his head. "There's no way we're letting you out of this."

"You always opt out whenever we do anything fun. I personally don't think it's healthy," Will chimed in.

"Okay, fine. Where is this party?" Killian gave in.

"The Upper East Side," Liam smiled. "Now come on. Let's get packed up so we can get the hell out of here."

Will and Robin cheered in agreement before setting to work with Liam. Killian gently placed his bass back into its case and made sure it was latched shut before lifting it and one of their amplifiers and carrying them out back where their van was parked.

He opened up the back and shoved everything inside before turning to head back inside to help with the rest of the equipment. Halfway to the door he paused and looked down the alley to where it opened out into the street. He contemplated heading in that direction and making a quick escape without the boys even realizing, knowing it would be his one and only chance of getting out of this party everyone had insisted on going to. Unfortunately he was unable act quickly enough as his brother and friends entered the alley with the remainder of the equipment in-hand, laughing and joking with each other.

"Oh, no worries Killian, we can manage the rest of the equipment," Liam said sarcastically as he passed him to put his load in the van.

"I was just on my way back in," Killian sighed.

"Yeah, I'm sure you were," Liam muttered.

"He was more likely standing out here trying to come up with a way to get out of going to this party," Will joked, not knowing the startling accuracy of his words.

"Well, there's no way in hell that's happening," Liam promised as he turned towards his brother. "You're coming and that's that. Now come on, let's get out of here."

Killian groaned internally and climbed into back of the van alongside Will while Liam and Robin claimed the front seats. Soon they were pulling out of the alley and into traffic, racing through the streets of New York City towards a night Killian would never forget.

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><p><strong>AN: Alright, so this is now a thing that is happening. I'm really excited about this guys, like <strong>_**really excited**_**, because I've been trying to come up with an idea for a Captain Swan fanfiction for quite a while now, and now I finally have one! Granted, it's not entirely my idea since it's inspired by August Rush (which is a fabulous movie that everyone should see!), but I feel like I'm making enough changes so that it's sort of my own! I just remember watching the movie for the first time since I started OUAT and I was immediately thinking up an AU where Emma and Killian were Lyla and Louis and then it just sort of ran away with me. I started to write it all down and now here it is! Anyway, I hope you like it and I hope you'll consider keeping up with it because I really want to continue this story and it'd be great if people actually, you know, read it. Now, if you actually read my insanely long author's note (they're usually this insanely long…) then I'd like to say thank you and please consider leaving a review! I loooove feedback! Just don't be mean (not that I think any of you will be!). Okay, that's all. Bye!**

**For those of you curious about the piece Emma performed in the beginning of the chapter, here's the backend of the URL for a video recording of it being played by Sarah Chang. Just copy and paste this after the youtube URL: watch?v=JnE9ooiC-tc**

**It's a great piece! Give it a listen!**


	2. Chapter 2

**AN: Wow guys, thank you for being so nice! I'm glad to see that I've caught the attention of people who have seen August Rush as well as those who haven't! A few things you should probably know about this story as far as characters go is that a lot of them are going to seem at least somewhat out of character. This **_**ESPECIALL**_**Y goes for David. He sadly needs to be OOC for this story, but I'm trying to keep Mary Margaret as in character as possible to balance things out. So yeah, if that's not your thing that I wouldn't recommend this story to you. I figured I may as well tell you now than have you keep reading and be disappointed. Thanks again for taking the time to read this and for telling me you like it! It means a lot! Hope you like this chapter!**

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><p><strong>Chapter 2<strong>

Emma sat quietly on the couch of the high-end Upper East Side apartment at which the party was being held. She stared mindlessly into her solo cup of water while a couple on the opposite end of the couch, who were currently involved in a very passionate make-out session, began to inch towards her. Emma eventually looked up from her drink and found that the couple was nearly touching her now. Feeling uncomfortable, she carefully got up so as not to disturb them and drank the rest of her water before finding a trash can and tossing her cup.

Emma wandered through the apartment until she happened upon the living room where the party's major activity was taking place. Music was playing loudly as many of the party-goers danced and laughed, clearly having a great time.

"Emma!" someone called her name and she looked through the crowd until she found the familiar faces of her friends. Ruby was waving at her to join them but Emma quickly pretended not to notice and turned away, going back the way she came.

She began wandering aimlessly once again, disappointed at how bored she had become. What she had originally hoped would be a fun evening away from her responsibilities had turned out to be a dud. She should have just gone home like her father had wanted. To be honest, Emma hated parties, and she had no idea why she'd even agreed to come in the first place.

While Emma contemplated whether she should leave earlier than she'd originally planned, she mindlessly made her way down the hallway that led from the kitchen until she reached an open window at the end which led to a fire escape. She poked her head outside and closed her eyes, breathing in the chilled evening air. The bitter cold of winter had slowly begun to fade away as March came to an end, but the bite was still in the air and Emma soon felt her nose grow numb.

Emma opened her eyes and was about to push away from the window when she heard the sound of music coming from the street below. She stuck her head further out the window in search of the music's source and saw a man walking up and down the block playing a guitar. She stood at the window a moment longer, enjoying the sound momentarily before opening the window further and slipping out onto the fire escape.

Despite being five floors up the wind was not as harsh as Emma had believed it would be, but it still blew enough to make her shiver. She pulled her cardigan tightly around her shoulders and crossed her arms securely in an attempt to keep warm as she leaned against the wrought iron railing of the fire escape and observed the musician. The sweet, gentle tune filled her ears and she soon became lost within it. Her eyes slid shut and she breathed a sigh of content, happy that she was able to find at least one enjoyable aspect of the evening.

"It's a beautiful sound, isn't it?" the voice of a man with an attractive English accent sounded from somewhere behind her, causing Emma to jump.

She gasped loudly, her hand shooting up to rest over her heart as though she were trying to prevent it from leaping out of her chest as she spun around in surprise. Emma looked left to right and back through the window she'd climbed through but didn't see anyone. It wasn't until she looked up that she found the voice's owner.

He was sitting atop the roof just above her with one of his legs dangling over the edge, and he was staring at her with deep blue eyes. His hair was dark and tousled and his face was quite handsome with stubble covering his chin. He wore a leather jacket with a gray T-shirt underneath and denim skinny jeans to complete the ensemble.

Emma suddenly realized that she was staring, so she averted her eyes and exhaled sharply.

"You scared me," she told him with a breathy laugh.

"My apologies," he replied, his eyes shining with sincerity.

She paused and looked around, curious to see if anyone else was around, but it appeared to be just the two of them.

"What are you doing up there?" Emma eventually asked.

"The same thing you're doing down there," he said matter-of-factly, smiling at her when she gave him a slightly confused look. He nodded towards the street where the musician was still playing his guitar. "I'm listening."

"Right," she nodded, feeling slightly awkward as she often did with strangers. She looked over her shoulder towards the street, then glanced over at the window as she considered going back inside when the strangers spoke again.

"Well, are you gonna just stand there or are you going to sit down?" he asked.

Emma froze and looked back up at him as he pat the roof beside him.

"Up there?" she raised one of her eyebrows questioningly.

He simply laughed in response and gestured for her to join him. There weren't any stairs leading to the roof, but instead there was a ladder that was bolted to the side of the apartment a few feet away from where he was sitting. Emma hesitated, but eventually moved towards it and climbed until she reached the top. She looked around the roof and found that, instead of being empty, it was occupied by quaint little rooftop garden complete with outdoor furniture and even a small fountain.

Emma turned herself around so that she was facing the street and lifted herself up onto the edge of the roof, scooting away from the ladder so that she was closer to the stranger that had invited her up there in the first place. She sat with her hands folded in her lap, occasionally rubbing them together in order to warm them up.

"You're a musician," the stranger suddenly said. It was a statement, not a question.

She looked over at him in surprise.

"How do you know that?" she asked.

He boldly reached over and gently took her left hand, holding it so that the palm was facing up.

"You have callouses," he told her.

Emma looked at the tips of her fingers and wondered how he had been able to spot the barely noticeable callouses she'd developed due to years of playing the violin.

He began pulling his hand away and as he did Emma was able to spy his own set of much more noticeable callouses on his fingertips.

"So do you," she pointed out.

"Indeed I do," he confirmed.

"What do you play?" she asked curiously.

"I play the bass in a band with my brother and two of my best mates," he told her. "What about you?"

"Violin," she said.

"Ah, I figured," he nodded.

"Why?" she smiled.

"Well, a musician is often reflected by their preferred instrument, and the violin is very dainty, elegant," he paused and turned to look at her, "beautiful."

Emma felt her cheeks burn and she quickly looked down, hoping he wouldn't notice.

"So," she cleared her throat, "how long have you been playing the bass?"

"Since I was fifteen," he told her. "My father wanted my brother and me to learn an instrument, but all we had were some old guitars and a bass that belonged to our grandfather. We couldn't afford to buy something new, so my brother got a guitar and I was given the bass. We've been playing ever since and formed our band a few years back. Now we go from club to club doing shows."

"Sounds exciting," Emma sighed, slightly jealous of the amount of freedom he had.

"To be honest, it's not all it's cracked up to be."

"Why not? Don't you enjoy playing?"

"Of course I do. I love it more than life itself sometimes. It's just that lately it feels like I'm only playing so we can pay the next month's rent," he explained. "I don't know. I suppose it's not as fun when you feel so…"

"Pressured," she finished for him.

They turned and looked at each other with mutual understanding.

"Exactly," he nodded.

They fell into silence for a while, doing nothing but sitting and listening as the guitarist below continued to play his gentle tune.

"Killian," the stranger suddenly broke the silence.

Emma looked at him in confusion.

"My name," he said. "It's Killian."

"Emma," she introduced herself in response.

"So Emma, what's your story?" Killian asked.

"I don't really have much of a story," she told him.

"Why not let me be the judge of that," he offered.

Emma smiled a little and looked down at her hands.

"Well, I've been playing the violin for as long as I can remember," she began. "My dad, he's the one that insisted I learn. He's had my entire life planned out for me since I had my first concert when I was seven."

"You make playing sound like a burden," Killian told her.

"No, it's not a burden," she shook her head. "I love it, I really do. It's just hard having to worry about living up to my father's standards."

"Ah," he nodded in understanding. "Pressure."

"Yeah," Emma grimaced.

Killian was silent for a moment, allowing the music from below to flow smoothly.

"This is a great song," he sighed.

"You know it?" she wondered.

"No," he smiled, "but it's one hell of a tune."

"Yeah," she agreed.

"In fact," Killian suddenly jumped to his feet. "It sort of makes you feel like dancing."

Emma laughed when he held out his hand to her.

"Sorry," she shook her head. "I'm a terrible dancer."

"Well then, I suppose you'll just have to follow my lead."

* * *

><p>He waited, watching her as she contemplated whether to take his hand or decline once and for all. She eventually made up her mind though and cautiously took his hand. He grinned like an idiot and helped her to her feet, pulling her away from the roof's edge and towards an open space in the middle of the garden.<p>

Killian stopped and turned to face her, using the grasp he already had on her hand to pull her closer to him. Emma looked down at her feet, clearly unsure of herself, but he wrapped his arms around her waist and she soon linked her hands around his neck. They began to slowly sway and spin to the sound of the music from the street below and Killian caught Emma smiling.

"Well look at you," he said softly. "You're not such a bad dancer after all."

She laughed and it was an even sweeter sound than the melody they were dancing to.

"Don't jinx it," she warned him. "I'll end up stepping on your feet at least once, I guarantee it."

"I think I'll survive," he chuckled.

Emma looked down, seeming suddenly worried that she actually might step on his feet, so he quickly made an attempt to reclaim her attention.

"So tell me love, how does a pretty lass such as yourself find herself alone at a party like this one?"

"I guess I'm just naturally a loner," she shrugged.

"You're not here with anyone?" he pressed.

"Ah," she smirked. "You're wondering if I have a boyfriend."

"Call it a form of self-preservation," he told her. "It'd be a shame to have such a delightful evening end with my ass getting kicked by your jealous boyfriend."

"I don't have a boyfriend," she assured him.

"I find that hard to believe."

"Well, I'm not lying," she promised.

"You must be," he shook his head. "There's no way a woman as beautiful as yourself is single."

"I guess I'm an anomaly then," Emma blushed.

Killian smiled and stared into her eyes as they continued dancing.

"So," she sighed, "will you and your band be performing somewhere anytime soon?"

"I'm not sure actually," he replied thoughtfully. "We might pick up a gig while we're home for a few weeks…"

"Home?" Emma said questioningly. "Where's home?"

"England," he told her. "London to be exact."

"Sounds amazing," she sighed.

"It's a great town," he smiled. "We've finally saved up enough to go and visit for a few weeks."

"How long has it been since you've been back?"

"Almost a year now," he explained. "My brother and I had to go back for our father's funeral last May, so that was the last time we were there."

"I'm so sorry," she whispered.

"It's alright," he assured her.

"I'm sure it's going to be great going back under better circumstances," Emma smiled in an attempt to lighten the mood.

"Yes, I suppose so," he agreed. "If I'm being completely honest, though, New York suddenly seems a little more desirable," Killian shrugged, smiling when he saw her blush yet again. She blushed a lot, and he loved it.

"I've always wanted to visit London," she told him.

"So why haven't you?"

"My dad," she explained. "He has my whole life planned, remember? He didn't really include time for travel on the schedule."

"But if it's something you want to do, why not at least tell him? Maybe he'll understand," he mused.

"I don't know," she shook her head. "I've never really been brave enough to stand up to him. I've never been brave enough to do anything unless my father approves of it."

"No offense, but that doesn't sound like much of a life," he said cautiously.

Emma's face went expressionless as realization dawned on her.

"You're right, it's not," she said. "I've never done anything that involves any sort of risk. Not once in my life have I taken a chance on anything or anyone. Everything has always been set in stone, and now I'm realizing that I don't think I want that anymore."

They stopped dancing and Emma turned away from him as she continued speaking excitedly.

"I wish, for once, that I could do something crazy. Something that my father wouldn't approve of. I wish I could take a chance without knowing what was going to happen next."

"So why don't you?" Killian asked.

She turned back and looked at him with a smile on her face.

"I don't know," she laughed. "I should though, right? I should take a chance and do something crazy."

Killian stood there staring at her as she walked back towards him and stopped when she was but a few inches away. The pale light from the full moon illuminated her face, making her eyes seem brighter and her smile more beautiful. She was absolutely stunning and he couldn't make himself look away if he tried.

When they'd been standing there for what seemed like minutes, Emma's smile slowly faded as she grew self-conscious of his staring.

"What are you looking at?" she asked shyly.

Instead of answering her he felt himself slowly begin to lean towards her. He noticed her stiffen and he paused, waiting for her to move away from him. When she remained where she was he moved closer, not stopping until his lips pressed against hers. His hand came up to cup her face as he wrapped his other arm around her waist and pulled her close.

Emma remained frozen for a moment, but soon encircled her arms around his neck and kissed him back gently. The music had begun to fade away as the musician likely started to move on from his current spot, but Killian didn't notice and he doubted Emma did either. All he knew was that he was here, in the most beautiful city in the world with the most beautiful girl he'd ever met, and, for the first time in months, he was happy.

* * *

><p><strong>So how's it going? This took a lot longer than expected. I got a bad case of writers block and I officially applied to my first choice college and I also had to write the first three pages of a five page research paper (the whole thing is due on Wednesday, bleh). Basically, I've been busy. Like, <strong>_**really**_** busy. Oh, and let's not forget that OUAT has been consistently ruining my life and making it impossible to focus on anything at all. I think those are all my excuses, so now all I can say is that I'm sorry it took longer than I'd hoped and I really hope you liked this chapter regardless! It's pretty important! Okay that's all now. Hope you come back next time!**


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